Having a childhood dream of aviation, Chris first became an Aviation Explorer, motivating him to earn his private pilot's certificate as a teenager. During his four years at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University he earned his commercial, multi-engine certificate with an instrument rating. While experimenting in seaplanes, gliders, and flying his personal vintage Cessna 172, Chris developed a passion for general aviation. As a flight instructor, he shares that passion creating aviation training apps and content for Sporty's Pilot Shop. Outside of flying, Chris enjoys collecting and repairing weird cars.
Aircraft engines can provide thousands of hours of reliable service, provided that they are maintained and operated properly. From the pilot’s perspective, this involves learning the best practices for power control, leaning procedures, cooling, and other operational considerations.
Wake turbulence is an invisible hazard that presents an additional challenge for pilots operating light airplanes out of busy airports. Take our latest quiz and test your knowledge of proper avoidance techniques.
Calculating the airplane’s weight and balance is a mandatory task you must complete before every flight. Many of an airplane’s performance, handling, and structural characteristics are a function of weight and balance, not to mention the safety risks associated with operating an overloaded or out-of-balance airplane.
While it may be true that any landing you can walk away from is a good landing, there is certainly something to be said about always striving to make better landings. Most experienced pilots would be willing to admit that the perfect landing is much more of an art than a science. Take this quiz on landing techniques to hone your touchdown knowledge in search of consistently smooth and safe landings and see if you can squeak out a perfect score.
All pilots must maintain vigilance to see and avoid other aircraft. In a see-and-be-seen environment you should continuously scan all areas visible from the cockpit. But do you know the best method to accomplish this? What about at night? Take this quiz and test your ability to spot a potential traffic conflict and avoid a dangerous collision.
You’ll likely pass through several classes of airspace on every flight, whether it’s your first solo or a cross-country flight to the beach. Each class of airspace is depicted with unique markings on the sectional chart and different VFR weather minimums and equipment requirements. Take our latest quiz and test your knowledge of the U.S. airspace system.
During flight training, you’ll learn to plan your cross-country flights first by hand and use the E6B each step of the way. You’ll also find it to be a handy companion when studying for the FAA knowledge exam. We’ll use the Sporty’s electronic E6B flight computer in this quiz when calculating flight planning and navigation questions.
As winter sets in, it’s more important than ever to understand how the cold weather will not only affect the aircraft performance but also your preflight and weather planning. Use this quiz to test your cold-weather flying knowledge. The video clip below is from Sporty’s 2025 Learn to Fly Course
The rules for transponder requirements changed in 2020, requiring aircraft to be equipped with ADS-B out transponders in most of the same airspace that previously required a Mode C transponder. Take our latest quiz and test your knowledge of the details of ADS-B rules.
Winds aloft, true course, heading and groundspeed. Can you put all the puzzle pieces together and plan a successful cross-country flight? Use this quiz to test your flight planning knowledge and see if you can get a perfect score. Want to learn more about cross-country flight planning? Check out Sporty’s Learn To Fly Course for more in-depth training […]
